Dared

Chapter 08

I have to up my game.

So before class on Wednesday, I walk to the locker room in the hopes of catching Kara. She is at her locker checking her phone.

This time she sees me before I can startle her. My lips ease into a grin.

"Hey," I say, leaning against the locker opposite to hers.

"Hey," she smiles, "where are the flowers?"

My brows furrow, studying her face. Her eyes fix on me, a challenging look burning in her eyes.

"I didn't think that you expected me to bring you flowers every single day," I say running a palm over my face.

Relationships are hard. Girls are hard. Maybe Dylan is right.

"Well, you did bring me flowers once, and I kinda liked them," she prompts, biting down on her lips trying to hide a smile.

"Oh damn," I say, "we should remedy this."

Her eyes spark with excitement. "How?"

"I'm gonna have to buy you flowers," I grin, my mind spinning with a plan.

Her brows furrow and she gives me a skeptical look, "How are you going to do that?"

"I'll take you to a florist," I suggest, "and you can buy all the flowers you want."

Her lips stretch into a grin mirroring mine.

"And maybe the arcade later?" I raise a brow.

"Deal."

And just like that, flowers are my new weapon.

That evening after practices Kara and I walk over to the florist. When I opened the door, Kara brushes past me, almost sending me tumbling out of the shop. She spins around taking in all the flower decorations.

She is wearing a purple dress, a complete 180 from her cheerleading costume. She stands beside a flower arrangement that has lavenders spilling around the sides, gazing at it in awe.

Pushing her phone towards me, she poses in front of the flowers.

"Take a picture of me!" she squeaks, excited.

I take a few pictures as she poses in different ways. Her smile is bright and her eyes twinkle.

The picture comes out beautiful despite my lack of photography skills. She is beautiful. And flowers make her happy.

I secretly text myself the pictures before handing her the phone back.

The florist seems wrapped in her enthusiasm as he follows her around listening to her gush about how nice his flowers are.

Kara Merrick is a flowery soul. A contagious flowery soul. I find myself smiling as she clicks a lot of selfies.

I walk over to the counter and pay for a bouquet of lilies. The type that my mom loves to buy.

Kara giggles as the florist hand her the bouquet. She is grinning like the Cheshire Cat when we exit the shop.

"Thanks for the flowers," she says running a tender finger across the petals.

Her bright eyes twinkle with a strange energy that I have never seen before. Flowers make her so happy? I don't see how they can.

"So," Kara says, raising her head to look at me, "the arcade?"

"Oh yeah," I grin at her.

And well, who thought the innocent-looking, flower-loving Kara Merrick was actually a slayer?